1. Field of the Invention
The present invention may relate to a cooking unit, such as a stove, for cooking food, which cooking unit may have a cooking hob and cooking elements associated therewith.
2. Background Information
U.S. Pat. No. 6,021,774 relates generally to a unit with at least one plate made of a material which is permeable to thermal radiation, such as glass ceramic glass, ceramic or a similar material, as a surface for cooking, frying and/or keeping warm. The unit is positioned on a frame construction and has different types of adjustable heat sources distributed underneath and on the plate. Some of the heat sources are distributed under the plate in the form of radiant burners and act indirectly by radiation through the plate. Other heat sources are located above-the level of the plate in the form of open atmospheric or atmospheric pressure gas burners and transmit heat directly by producing open flames. The respective heat sources correspond to the cooking, frying and/or warming positions.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,002,112 relates to a cooking appliance with a hob having a plurality of cooking rings, at least one of which cooking rings is designated as a rapid cooking ring. The cooking rings can be heated essentially by electrically operated heating devices, and the rapid cooking ring is formed by a hot plate integrated into the hob.
U.S. patent application Ser. No. 09/177,336, allowed on Oct. 25, 1999, relates to an arrangement of an electrical heating element as a cooking zone, having as a carrier a ceramic of very high thermal conductivity, in a cutout of a cooking surface comprising glass-ceramic, glass, ceramic, metal or plastic. The ceramic carrier of the heating element has, above the plane of the cooking surface, a region, by means of which region the carrier engages over the cutout onto the top of the cooking surface and by means of which region the carrier rests on the cooking surface by a gasket. The ceramic carrier forms, in the plane of the cooking surface, a further region, by which further region the carrier is positioned in the cutout at a distance from the end faces of the latter, and, below the plane of the cooking surface, a region having shaped-out portions serves as a bearing for an element which element, with the aid of the cooking surface as an abutment, fixes the heating element in the cutout of the cooking surface.
A mounting is described in German Patent No. 197 03 541 A1, for example. This publication describes a frame which, in one preferred embodiment, surrounds a cooking surface on its upper and-lower sides, whereby the frame is connected in an interlocking manner with a supporting segment which is engaged underneath the cooking surface on its underside.
The frame has a porous surface, i.e., one that accumulates dirt. Ordinary household cleaners and other particles of dirt accumulate in the pores and thus result in a permanent, often unsightly contamination. The frame can easily be damaged by mechanical and thermal loads.
German Patent No. 195 25 825 A1 describes a method for the manufacture of an oven cooktop and an oven cooktop that is manufactured using this method. In this method, a plate and a profile that forms at least the surface are connected to each other in an interlocking manner, whereby the lining completely surrounds the edge of the plate in the shape of a C. Because the plate extends beyond the cooking surface into the peripheral area of the cooktop, and is thus exposed without protection to external influences, in this case it is necessary to also use a profile that protects the plate.
German Patent No. 196 12 621 A1 also describes a cooktop with a cooking surface, with at least one function zone, whereby the function zone is incorporated into the cooking surface by means of a tight joint that retains its elasticity. The cooking surface and function zone are thereby connected to each other only by means of their end surfaces.
One possible object of the present invention may be to find a method for the manufacture of a mounting for essentially flat cooking surfaces, whereby the mounting may surround the cooking surfaces at least in the bottom and lateral peripheral area.
The method must be essentially simple, involve only a few steps, and have an essentially high degree of automation and essentially good process control. It must also be possible to adapt the method essentially quickly, easily and flexibly to different cooking surface geometries.
One possible purpose of the method may be to directly connect the mounting and one or more cooking surfaces with one another.
An additional object of the present invention may be to create a mounting for corresponding cooking surfaces. In at least one possible embodiment of the present invention, it must be possible to shape the mounting directly on the cooking surface. If necessary, the mounting preferably should have an edge-protector for the cooking surface and possibly an assembly aid to facilitate the installation of the cooking surface, whereby the mounting should have a smooth, closed surface that is essentially easy to clean. The cooking surface must be essentially protected against dirt and mechanical loads. It must be possible to manufacture the cooking surface essentially easily, quickly and with consistently high quality.
In at least one possible embodiment of the present invention, the mounting preferably also surrounds a cooking surface or a plurality of cooking surfaces and connect them essentially firmly to one another.
The mounting claimed by the present invention preferably forms an essentially effective, permanent edge protector for the cooking surface in the particularly sensitive area of its lateral edge.
A particularly good connection between the mounting and the cooking surface may be achieved, for example, by a connection in the shape of a C with the lateral edge of the cooking surface. The deformation of the shaped lateral edge of the cooking surface by the mounting essentially prevents the cooking surface from being pushed out of the mounting under load.
On account of the arrangement of the mounting""s being essentially flush with the cooking surface, its essentially good mechanical properties (smoothness, non-porosity, flexibility), its resistance to conventional mechanical loads, e.g., when cooking implements are pulled over the mounting, is also essentially guaranteed.
In other words, in at least one possible embodiment of the present invention, because the mounting may be essentially level or flush with the cooking surface or cooking structure, the mounting may exhibit essentially good mechanical properties, such as, for example, smoothness, non-porosity, flexibility, and resistance to conventional mechanical loads, such as, for example, a cooking implement that is being pulled or otherwise moved over the mounting.
The method may make possible the essentially economical manufacture of a cooking surface with an essentially effective mounting which also integrates essentially effective edge protection and, if appropriate, an assembly aid embedded in a supporting segment of the mounting. With this method, it may be possible to manufacture a mounting, ready for installation, for a cooking surface using only a few process steps.
The essential ease of using cavity plates that are adapted to the geometry of the mounting may be further evidence of the essentially advantageous flexibility of the method. To connect a specific cooking surface with a specific mounting in at least one possible embodiment of the present invention, all that may be necessary may be to change the cavity plates.
For example, it may be essentially advantageous that the mounting, in at least one possible embodiment of the present invention, preferably is molded directly onto a plurality of cooking surfaces and connects the cooking surfaces to one another. In this case, the mounting may surround not only one single cooking surface, but a plurality of cooking surfaces simultaneously. It thereby may become possible, for example, to arrange a plurality of cooking surfaces next to one another and to connect them firmly to one another by means of the mounting claimed by the present invention.
It may also be essentially advantageous that the assembly aid may project at a right angle from the holding. The installation thereby may become particularly easy, because the matching elements to which the assembly aid, and thus the cooking surface provided with the mounting, may or must be fastened are generally oriented at a right angle to the cooking surface. The assembly aid is preferably configured so that it can be essentially easily inserted into a matching element that may be realized in the form of a locking receptacle.
The locking element to hold the assembly aid can, for example, be a montage frame that may be connected directly with a cutout in a work surface, so that the molding can be installed easily simply by latching the cooking surface provided with the mounting.
An additional advantage that may be taught by the present invention is that the assembly aid may have an anchoring means. An essentially permanent positive and non-positive connection between the supporting segment of the mounting and the assembly aid may thereby be essentially guaranteed. The interlocking fit between the mounting and the assembly aid can thereby be created in a number of different ways. For example, the anchoring can have ribs that are embedded in the supporting segment, and/or the anchoring means can be provided with openings that are surrounded by the mounting. Finally, the assembly aid can have a bent section, by means of which it may be anchored in the mounting.
For a secure fixing of the assembly aid in position, the anchoring means preferably run at right angles to the direction of the main load acting on the assembly aid, and in the case of a assembly aid that projects at right angles to the cooking surface, for example, the anchoring means may preferably run parallel to the cooking surface.
In at least one possible embodiment of the present invention, the assembly aid is preferably made of metal.
In at least one possible embodiment of the present invention, the cooking surface is preferably made of glass. Cooking surfaces made of the materials listed above can be permanently connected with a mounting in at least one possible embodiment of the present invention, and their edges can thereby be essentially effectively protected.
The mounting may surround with particular advantage at least one cooking surface and one function zone, whereby the cooking surface and the function zone can be made of different materials. Thus parts of the molding that have different functions may be surrounded by the mounting and may be connected by it. For example, a function zone can be a cooking surface that has control and/or display functions. A function zone can also essentially easily be used as an area to put down cooking implements or as a warming area.
The mounting preferably forms the bottom and lateral framing, ready for installation, of the cooking surface and/or of the function zone. There may no longer be any need for conventional metal and/or plastic frames, because the mounting may replace current frames on account of its properties as described above.
The mounting preferably surrounds cooking areas, e.g., made of glass ceramic, cooking zones, e.g., made of ceramic, hob tops, e.g., made of DURAX (a registered trademark), refrigerator shelves, and view windows, display glass panels, and partitions for ovens or refrigerators, e.g., for a Cook-In (a registered trademark).
A further possible advantage of the method may be that a plurality of cooking surfaces can be simultaneously provided with a mounting and can be connected with each other by means of the mounting.
The above-discussed embodiments of the present invention will be described further hereinbelow with reference to the accompanying figures. When the word xe2x80x9cinventionxe2x80x9d is used in this specification, the word xe2x80x9cinventionxe2x80x9d includes xe2x80x9cinventionsxe2x80x9d, that is, the plural of xe2x80x9cinventionxe2x80x9d. By stating xe2x80x9cinventionxe2x80x9d, Applicants do not in any way admit that the present application does not include more than one patentably and non-obviously distinct invention, and maintain that this application may include more than one patentably and non-obviously distinct invention. Applicants hereby assert that the disclosure of this application may include more than one invention, and, in the event that there is more than one invention, that these inventions may be patentable and non-obvious one with respect to the other.